Ghostwoman
by Lucile Drakkhen
Summary: A short piece on how Ghostwoman came to be. One of my chars from CoH


**_GhostWoman..._**

I used to be like you...a normal person. Living in the light, in the daytime but no more. Not since the Darkness took me over. Here is my story...

I'd gone for a walk in Bloody Bay during a bright and sunny day, I lost track of time and as I was walking past the graveyard with dusk falling I heard shouts and sounds of battle. Sighing I looked up and saw a group of heroes and villains fighting over the territory. All of a sudden a fire ball hit the ground near me singing my leg slightly so I ran into the graveyard and sought shelter in one of the crypts. I sat in a dusty corner shivering as full night came upon the Bay, I could still hear the sounds of battle outside and I wished it would end so I could go home. I was in pain and just sat there until suddenly I heard cries of pain and then silence.

I sat there for a few minutes and I couldn't hear anything so I stood up shakily hobbling to the entrance to the crypt. Before I got there a cloud of pitch black appeared in the doorway. The cloud started to drift away leaving behind the figure of a man staring at me intently. Gasping in shock I stumbled and started to fall but all of a sudden he was there...close enough to catch me and sweep me up into his arms holding me close. He set me down gently on top of one of the stone vaults, still not speaking a word. He lifted the burnt and tattered shreds of my pants and looked at the burn marks. I tried to speak but he just placed a finger on my lips to silence me, I looked down at my leg and watched as a patch of darkness appeared around his other hand and transferred to around my leg and healing the burns completely.

At this point I fainted but when I awoke I found myself lying still on top of the vault but with the mystery mans scarf bundled under my head and his coat over me keeping me warm. I sat up slowly and looked around, then I saw him sitting close by just watching me. Looking into his eyes I saw something in them, hunger or even maybe something else something that looked like a deep desire. With a jolt I realised I'd seen this man before but always in the shadows or in the background, and that id been seeing him for a long time.

It was so dark and so cold, I was exhausted and I started to cry. He just stood there looking at me then tilted my head up to look at him, wiping my tears away with a thumb. Then he started to speak in a low deep voice to me and me alone. This is what he said...

_Don't cry... for you are not alone._

_I am the darkness you feel, though I wish you no harm._

_I have searched endlessly for this._

_For someone as you are._

_I bring you a gift, and an offer._

_Either can be refused, I would return to the blackness that is of me._

_I will not beg, simply ask._

_For your soul is a beacon to me._

_Your heart is my guide._

_So I gift you my being._

_For I have no choice._

_My offer is a simple one._

_Eternity._

_If you wish, you would never be alone again._

_For I am the Darkness that consumes._

_And through all this nothingness,_

_Through this wasteland, only one thing is clear to me..._

_I will always Love you._

He went silent after this, just looking at me with those deep dark eyes of his. I panicked at his words and slid off the vault looking around for a way out. I spotted the entrance behind me and ran, ran so I could get away from those echoing words in my head. I ran all the way home, slamming the door to my lonely apartment behind me. I walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. Looking up at myself in the mirror, I saw myself as others would see me a classic blonde bimbo slut so why would someone as dark as him want someone like me?

Exhausted I stripped off and crawled into bed, falling asleep pretty quickly. That night though I suffered from nightmarish visions of monsters, death and destruction and it felt like I was waking up every 5 minutes. After waking up for what felt like the 50th time I felt something curl up behind me holding me closely though no-one was there. Then I heard his voice whispering in my ear telling me not to fear the visions, that he would keep me safe from harm. I started to fight against his suggestions but my body just relaxed and I fell into a deep calm restful sleep.

Over the next few nights I suffered from the nightmares but he always came and looked after me like he did that first night and in the end I got used to his nightly visits, in fact I started to look forward to them. Then one night he never came...

I became worried that something had happened I got dressed up in dark clothing and tied back my long blonde hair and went out towards Bloody Bay where I knew deep down that's where I'd find him. As I was walking there I saw a big group of heroes, about 15 of them in total, all laughing and patting each other on the back. I heard one say thank god they'd finally brought down Ghostman and that they wouldn't have to worry about him ever again. My heart skipped a beat, my mystery man never told me his name but from the description I heard these heroes say...it was him... So I started to run to Bloody Bay.

When I got there I saw the battle site near enough straight away, so I started searching around and found what looked like a small cave hidden away nearby. There was a tiny trail of blood leading into the cave so I ducked my head and went into the cave. A voice rang out deep, husky and low telling me to leave and not come back or I'd be killed. It was my mystery man, this...Ghostman person. I ignored his warnings and kept going deeper into the cave till suddenly I saw him slumped in a corner his clothes tattered and torn and obviously in a lot of pain. Kneeling next to him I lifted his head up gently and saw he had his eyes closed so I started speaking to him softly. Seeing him like this, well after all the nightly visits he'd made to me looking after me it was time for me to repay the favour and look after him. I took off my jacket and bundled it into a sort of pillow and lay him down gently on the floor. I looked around for something to use to clean up his face but I felt his hand close round my wrist gently which made me look down at him. He seemed a little shocked when he saw it was me but he relaxed his body and I could see all the tenseness leaving him, I think he knew that I'd look after him while he slept. I quietly went out and got some clean water in a bowl like piece of metal I found (after making sure it was clean of course) and took it back to the cave ensuring I wasn't followed.

I sat next to him, ripping strips of cloth from my sleeves and I started to lightly clean up the worst of the blood and muck from his face. He didn't stir at all just slept on like someone dead, I noticed his shirt was torn and I could see blood through the tear so I undid the buttons and opened it. I could see a few cuts and dark bruises so I washed them too. As I was doing this he slowly began to wake up and lay there just looking at me with those deep dark eyes of his. He tried to sit up but he fell back obviously weak from the blood loss so I helped him sit up and I cradled him to my chest asking him what he needed. His words were slightly slurred and weak but in my head I heard his pleas for blood, so at that point I knew he was one of the legendary vampires that everyone thought was myth. Trembling slightly I lifted him up and cradled his head to my neck gently. Make no mistake here Reader, I was freely giving this man what he needed and I was under no compulsion to force me to do it.

A lancing pain in my neck made me gasp and I knew then he was going to take what I had to offer, if I had to die to make him well I'd let him do it. The more blood he drank the stronger he became, as he sat up more he started to cradle me in his arms pulling me tighter against him. Soon though I started to feel weak and my heart rate slowed to nearly nothing, I knew I was at the point of death but I still didn't struggle I just closed my eyes and accepted it whispering the name I had heard the heroes call him. He pulled away from my neck and I just lay there in his arms dying. I was so drowsy all I could do was roll my head back to look up at him with a small smile on my face as I started to lose consciousness. I could see a flicker of anguish pass across his face as I closed my eyes again then suddenly I felt my mouth being pressed against his bare chest. I felt a hot trickle of liquid in my mouth so I started to suckle at it and I got more and more thirsty as I drank more of his blood that was flowing from a cut he had made on his chest. Yes it was blood but at that moment in time I would've drunk anything he gave me. After a while he stopped me drinking and cradled my body in his arms, putting his face into my hair crying softly, I could hear his cries in my mind. Cries of pain and sorrow that he'd drunk too much from me and that I was past saving but I knew better.

I passed out then but when I awoke I was still in his arms, still being held. I looked up at his face, at his closed eyes and I could see he'd been holding me for hours, that he was exhausted, so I reached up and gently touched his face tracing his jaw. He looked at me and slowly drew me up so we were both standing in that dark cave. Bending his head slowly so I could refuse if I wanted he touched his lips to mine. Outside thunder rolled over the sky and lightning flashes lit up the entrance to the cave as we both stood there locked to each other, our kisses getting deeper and deeper as the thunder got louder and more violent. He broke away from me and asked me if I truly wanted this, if I wanted to join with him and be together for eternity. These were my words to him...

_You offered me your companionship_

_You gave it to me even though I never answered_

_You protected me when you had no need to_

_I came to find you willingly I wanted to feel your touch_

_I offer myself freely to you, make me how you are_

_Let me be with you forevermore_

_And let none stand in our way_

_I just ask you one favour, one favour before you do this_

_Please, never leave me, don't leave me all alone_

_For that would be the only thing that would kill me_

As he bent to claim my lips with his yet again I felt his promises in my head and I knew then I had made the right decision. As we stood there locked together a thin stream of darkness flowed from his feet blooming outwards and around us, enveloping us completely. He lifted his head looking me in the eyes as the darkness flowed round my body and over my skin changing me forever.

My bright blonde hair turned black and my tanned skin became pale like his. Fangs burst free in my mouth and I nearly dropped to my knees as pain lanced through my body but he caught me and held me close. I felt a great thirst and when I glanced at his neck all I could see was the vein there throbbing, all I wanted to do was bite and drink but I stopped myself as I was unwilling to hurt him. I felt a deep chuckle from him and he told me to take what I wanted as it was freely given like I had with him. Biting down on him and tasting the rich warm flow of blood pouring into my mouth is something I can't describe it was so many things rolled into one but it was when he bit into me at the same time that all my senses exploded and it felt like we were floating in the air. Darkness was still flowing out of him and it started to flow from me too, mixing and melding together making us into one being. From this moment on we would never be separated and never far apart.

I will say one last thing to you, Dear Reader, a warning perhaps as I stand here...

_As Darkness falls across the Bay_

_I stand watching unafraid_

_Storm clouds gather fast and dark_

_And Heroes cry out in pain_

_But I know I'm safe from it all_

_As soon as my Lover steps out_

_Looming from the shadows_

_Catching all who's near me_

_Keeping me whole and protected_

_Watch out Heroes cause when you see me_

_Ghostman is never far away_


End file.
